Discovery of a vast amount of unknown actinomycetesfrom extreme environments in Xinjiang and Qinghai Province,China

Soil and sediment samples were collected from saline and alkaline soil and lakes in Xinjiang and Qinghai Province,P.R.China.Halophilic,alkalophilic and psychrophilic actinomycetes and actinobacteria in these samples were isolated.The strains were identified by using cultural,physiological,biochemical,molecular biological procedures.One new family(Yaniaceae),two new genera(Yania and Streptomonospora) and eight new species of halophilic actinomycetes and actinobacteria,four new species of alkalophilic and one new species of psychrophilic actinomycetes were found.Basing on the research results that there is a very high density of new or unknown actinomycetes resources in the extreme environments in Xinjiang and Qinghai,China.It is inexorable that new species contains new genes,new metabolites,new activities,and must have new use.Actinomycetes under high salt and alkaline environments may be an important source for discovery of new drugs.